Which is bigger, -5 or -6?

Outer Bongolia

Non-Football Story Of The Day
'A lottery scratchcard has been withdrawn from sale by Camelot - because players couldn't understand it. The Cool Cash game - launched on Monday - was taken out of shops yesterday after some players failed to grasp whether or not they had won. To qualify for a prize, users had to scratch away a window to reveal a temperature lower than the figure displayed on each card. As the game had a winter theme, the temperature was usually below freezing.

'But the concept of comparing negative numbers proved too difficult for some Camelot received dozens of complaints on the first day from players who could not understand how, for example, -5 is higher than -6.

'Tina Farrell, from Levenshulme, called Camelot after failing to win with several cards: "I phoned Camelot and they fobbed me off with some story that -6 is higher - not lower - than -8 but I'm not having it'

"I think Camelot are giving people the wrong impression - the card doesn't say to look for a colder or warmer temperature, it says to look for a higher or lower number. Six is a lower number than 8. Imagine how many people have been misled."

A Camelot spokeswoman said the game was withdrawn after reports that some players had not understood the concept.

She said: "The instructions for playing the Cool Cash scratchcard are clear - and are printed on each individual card and in the game procedures available at each retailer. However, because of the potential for player confusion we have decided to withdraw the game."

More than 15m adults in Britain have poor numeracy - the equivalent of a G or below at GCSE maths

Almost three times as many UK adults (15.1m) have poor numeracy - the equivalent of a G or below at GCSE maths - than with poor literacy skills, according to the government's Skills for Life survey.

Peter Hall, of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics, said: "The concept of minus numbers is something we would cover with 11 or 12 year olds, and we would expect them to have come across it before.

"The concept of smaller numbers is something that some people do seem to struggle with. Seven is clearly smaller than eight, so they focus on that and don't really see the minus sign. There is also a subtle difference in language between smaller - or lower - and colder. The number zero feels lower.

"There have always been some people who find numbers and basic mathematics difficult. Maybe in the past it was less noticeable because people could find jobs they could excel in without having qualifications in maths."- The Manchester Evening News.

I feel so brainy all of a sudden

gerTheGreat

That's why I'm against letting kids use calculators. F'in idiots.

Fwaggle

Outer Bongolia wrote: »

"I phoned Camelot and they fobbed me off with some story that -6 is higher - not lower - than -8 but I'm not having it'

Ha ha

hardCopy

Now I know why my maths teacher used to call the Lottery a "Tax on stupidity"

Cuddlesworth

There are a lot of people out there that have little to no education. That might not be their fault, but it is the company that released the cards for not relising this.

Outer Bongolia

Fwaggle wrote: »

Ha ha

Yeah, like Camelot are out to scam her

Maybe they've changed the laws of the universe and -6 is actually boiling point :cool:

LadyJ

Wow. Jesus.

MooseJam

cool, maths that I can do, that doesn't happen too often

ixoy

krazy_8s wrote: »

There are a lot of people out there that have little to no education. That might not be their fault, but it is the company that released the cards for not relising this.

So the company should be responsible for educating people? Or it should make assumptions that they can't grasp basic math concepts?

TheThing!

Be honest, this thread is really about the lenght of yer dick










in centimetres

Outer Bongolia

TheThing! wrote: »

Be honest, this thread is really about the lenght of yer dick










in centimetres

Yes I've heard that minus 4 is average but I come in at a very healthy minus 9. What, MINUS NINE IS SMALLER THAN MINUS FOUR??

Cheeky_gal

Think of the temperature, obviously -6 would be colder than -5, hence -6 you could say is (bigger) because it contains more cold. So therefore, -6 is bigger...

Having said that, I'm probably just talking through my ass...

whiskeyman

brilliant story!
nice find

mike65

I like the idea that a given number contains more cold.

Mike.

Outer Bongolia

Forgot to give the link

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1022757_cool_cash_card_confusion

and the rest of the article, I was only emailed half

Sinfonia

Cheeky_gal wrote: »

Think of the temperature, obviously -6 would be colder than -5, hence -6 you could say is (bigger) because it contains more cold. So therefore, -6 is bigger...

Having said that, I'm probably just talking through my ass...

Awkward thread title then, should really have asked which is higher/lower..

Still, funny story

big b

ixoy wrote: »

So the company should be responsible for educating people? Or it should make assumptions that they can't grasp basic math concepts?

+1.

There's always some bleeding heart out there who'll want everything dragged down to the lowest common denominator.
(apologies for arithmetical reference)

Cheeky_gal

SumGuy wrote: »

Awkward thread title then, should really have asked which is higher/lower..

Still, funny story

Why thank you, I'm a crowd pleaser...:D

Outer Bongolia

SumGuy wrote: »

Awkward thread title then, should really have asked which is higher/lower..

Still, funny story

You're right! Maybe I am even more stupider than them

Pherekydes

krazy_8s wrote: »

There are a lot of people out there that have little to no education. That might not be their fault, but it is the company that released the cards for not relising this.

Sounds like they did relish it!

In cases where people have access to education then it is their fault, and let's face it, in the UK (or Ireland) in this day and age everybody has access to education.

I'll bet if it was on their bank statements they'd know which number was bigger.

Jesus Wept

2+2 is 4

jester77

Outer Bongolia wrote: »

'Tina Farrell, from Levenshulme, called Camelot after failing to win with several cards: "I phoned Camelot and they fobbed me off with some story that -6 is higher - not lower - than -8 but I'm not having it'
[/quote]


Wow Tina, just wow... although I have heard that 3 out of 2 people have trouble with numbers!

Jesus Wept

Outer Bongolia wrote: »

Wow Tina, just wow... although I have heard that 3 out of 2 people have trouble with numbers!

I'm one of those 5.

robinph

Slow coach wrote: »

I'll bet if it was on their bank statements they'd know which number was bigger.

Yep, -£600 is a bigger debt than -£500.

I like the idea of -6 having more cold than -5 though.

jester77

robinph wrote: »

Yep, -£600 is a bigger debt than -£500.

I like the idea of -6 having more cold than -5 though.

hehe, I can just picture Tina. She's probably the typical blonde who goes out shopping with her credit card and is delighted at the end of the month to see that her balance is now bigger

dulpit

That is ridiculous... I can't believe that someone could possibly be that retarded...

At least it's something to read to make you feel less stupid...

thefinalstage

Maybe its just the british education system?

leninbenjamin

Cheeky_gal wrote: »

Think of the temperature, obviously -6 would be colder than -5, hence -6 you could say is (bigger) because it contains more cold. So therefore, -6 is bigger...

thanks, you just made my head explode.

lisbon_lions

Agh, The dumbing down era has arrived already !

I thought with bueaty and the geek, americas next top model, jacka$$ and the simple life, we would be good for another 15 years yet.

Seemingly not.

Quick, hide the buttons, get to a library - before its too late !!!
seriously though, the UK ed system is crap.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

why are we even fighting al qaeda? does western society really deserve to go on? this is just sad.

Cheeky_gal

leninbenjamin wrote: »

thanks, you just made my head explode.

Any time brother

dulpit wrote: »

That is ridiculous... I can't believe that someone could possibly be that retarded...

At least it's something to read to make you feel less stupid...

How is that retarded dude...think about it...minus 6 equals more cold! More cold for everyone...equals bigger quantity of cold temperature all-round...equals bigger number. It's pretty straight forward in all fairness...